Ennerdale Circuit: Crag Fell, Haycock & Great Borne

[poppiesrara]

A long, tough route on a hot summer’s day, linking up the most remote Lakeland Hewitts into a one-day marathon.

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Although a long way from anywhere, the unforested head of Ennerdale Water is a beautiful place – long dark waters between the flatlands heading to the Irish Sea and the rising fells to the east, buttressed by the green crags of Bowness Knott and Angler’s Crag. The indirect route zigzagging up the north face of Crag Fell is a terrific climb, clear enough and easily-graded paths, but running near to the crags and clinging tightly enough to the edge to give great views and the odd frisson of danger.

Great Borne, Bowness Knott & Angler's Crag over Ennerdale Water

Ennerdale Water, Knock Murton behind

High Stile & Pillar from the Angler's Crag col

Starling Dodd & High Stile ridge from Crag Fell

Blake Fell range

The far side of Crag Fell is quite a contrast: rounded slopes, a little boggy and – this and Grike wholly denuded of the old forestry – looking rather sad. The four miles from there along the sturdy wall to the upper slopes of Haycock are undramatic but easy, non-stop walking. Iron Crag (on the map, it’s surprising that this isn’t a Wainwright summit; in reality, despite a stony little top and a dramatic profile from the east, it doesn’t feel anything more than a shoulder of Caw Fell and Haycock) and Caw Fell pass quickly by as the higher peaks around Pillar loom into view.

Haycock & Caw Fell

Lank Rigg over Bleaberry Gill

Haycock from Caw Fell

Iron Crag

The going is a little more testing from there, a nice little scramble over the prominent rise of Little Gowder Crag and then increasingly rocky underfoot to the top of Haycock. This finally seems like a real high fell, rough ground and wide views all round, even with unexpected low cloud masking the Scafell range.

Great Borne & Starling Dodd from Haycock ascent

Steeple & Scoat Fell from Haycock

High Stile

Red Pike out of the Wasdale clouds

Close-up of Steeple

Middle Fell & Seatallan

After backtracking towards Caw Fell, there’s a nice but apparently little-used (leg-scratching heather rampant across much of the way) path gently down Tongue End back to the valley floor.

Little Gowder Crag, with Caw Fell-Iron Crag ridge behind

Crag Fell from the valley

This was the possible bale-out point, with the option of the lakeside path back to the start, but nothing had been very hard so far and the lower slopes of Starling Dodd opposite looked quite gentle… Deceptively so, however. Even those are steep enough with plenty of miles in the legs and once the fading path beside Gillflinter Beck finally died out, it was a very slow half-hour of rough, steep scramble over boulders and thick heather to Little Dodd. At least a test of differing muscles from the straight uphill slog, but still definitely feeling like a step too far. Luckily, it’s comparatively easy afterwards along the gentle ridge across the pleasant little rises of Starling Dodd and Great Borne, and a decent path (probably a really good way up) makes the best of the very steep descent.

Crummock Water between Mellbreak & Grasmoor

Pillar range, Great Gable left

Red Pike from Starling Dodd summit

Ennerdale Water from Herdus

Really hot by this point in the late afternoon, but only a couple of flat miles along the shores of Ennerdale Water, the little ‘beaches’ buzzing with sunbathers, back home.

Crag Fell

Great Borne & Bowness Knott

Pillar between Bowness Knott & Angler's Crag

This was a route with plenty of good walking and some lovely scenery, but (much as there are far more daunting Ennerdale loops than this that others take in their stride) it might be quite a while before I take on as much again…

[colgregg]

Great report. Can't believe I missed you! I was on Great Borne around 2 pm Sunday!!!

[john923]

Good stuff P. You seem to be ticking off the Lakeland Hewitts at a cracking rate.

[AJNicholls]

There's 5 I need to do right there.

Will try to get through them if I get up there next month. Thanks for the report, will be useful.

[L-Hiking]

This was a route with plenty of good walking and some lovely scenery, but (much as there are far more daunting Ennerdale loops than this that others take in their stride) it might be quite a while before I take on as much again…

Great stuff sir It took me two days and I smashed my camera

[yellowbelly]

A good route this one, made better by your variation up Crag Fell below the pinnacles. That descent path from Caw Fell is a bit rough where you're walking with your feet in a narrow watery stony trough with heather up to your knees
You were very adventurous going up by Gillflinter Gill. My worst nightmare descent in Ennerdale a few years ago was from Little Dodd down to the gill and into the valley - all boulders and bracken on a very hot day! I vowed never to return that way again. Mind you, the ascent of Red Pike (Buttermere) from Ennerdale also seems to be interminable.

[poppiesrara]

Thanks all. Col - if I'd been moving at anything more than a snail's pace I might have been there! but missed you by just a couple of hours...

It took me two days and I smashed my camera

Looking forward to the second day's report, but I already think it's fair to say that yours was a far bigger and tougher version than my cut-off effort...

That descent path from Caw Fell is a bit rough where you're walking with your feet in a narrow watery stony trough with heather up to your knees
You were very adventurous going up by Gillflinter Gill. My worst nightmare descent in Ennerdale a few years ago was from Little Dodd down to the gill and into the valley - all boulders and bracken on a very hot day! I vowed never to return that way again. Mind you, the ascent of Red Pike (Buttermere) from Ennerdale also seems to be interminable.

The heather and stones are definitely still there on the descent, luckily the water isn't at the moment, but I can imagine it gathers pretty easily in that trough... I definitely couldn't recommend the Gillflinter Gill way up (spent quite a lot of time sitting looking wistfully at that Red Pike path, which - although far longer - might well have been quicker and easier), but I imagine it would indeed have been far, far worse going down: heroic stuff!

[colgregg]

Snails pace!! That was an epic and with the weather no need to rush. Last time I was in Ennerdale I was completely blitzed by the time I'd finished. Grike, Tarn Crag, Lankrigg , Caw, Scoat and pillar and back was a long day. Still was better than watching the jubilee.

[simon-b]

Great report from a nice walk, poppie. I did a fairly similar route in reverse last year, without Haycock but adding Lank Rigg and Grike. That crossing of Ennerdale from one range to the other is really pleasant in nice weather, and makes all the hard work worthwhile. There's a superb view of Pillar, Scoat Fell and Steeple, with Pillar Rock and Steeple standing out on the skyline, from the lower part of the route form the valley to Starling Dodd. You'll have had your back to it; did you turn round and see it?

[poppiesrara]

Rather more teethgritting than turning round on that segment as I remember it, sadly...- you probably found it a little more pleasant than me! This is nearly it, but I'd have needed to get in a bit later to see Pillar Rock in full profile.